after spending the past week with jesse's parents, i have been thinking lots about family. the history we create together now. the legacy we will leave for future generations. the charge given us as parents is weighty.

just getting through each day is not enough. i mean, somedays i am just getting through. that is for sure. but not everyday. and those "somedays" usually are much richer than i give credit. my littles see me bending knee in prayer or seeking forgiveness after another mistake or choosing joy in the current hardship. or all three. at once.

but the other days, intention and attentiveness are musts. i am so thankful that jesse and i were given the conviction to create a written family vision 6 years ago. when we struggle with the daily to-dos or life's big trials, coming back to that mission statement grounds us. we remember the why of it all. and forgetting? forgetting the why will suffocate the needed motivation.

while in houston last november, four generations gathered to celebrate a new marriage and share a meal of thanksgiving. it was a beautiful time of relationships beginning and being deepened. (gia made a bff in cousin arianna.) stories were told and retold (and retold again). such a short yet significant slice of life. memories were made for our own albums that week.

i pray that one day i can gather with our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. that we will meet to share life, in laughter and sorrow. that love and joy and hope will surround us. that a legacy of faith has been nurtured.

i am joining the nester and will be blogging every single day in october!